Jake Braunger
- Former Guest Speaker at the Leadership Institute

Jake is a political consultant who hails originally from Sioux City, Iowa. Most recently, Jake served as the Director of Operations for Ben Lange, a Republican Congressional candidate in Iowa’s 1st Congressional district who challenged incumbent Democrat Bruce Braley. Jake led the ground game, handled media relations, and assisted with small donor fundraising.

At 24 years old he served as Rick Santorum’s sole Field Director in Iowa where he led a staff and built a caucus organization across 99 counties and 1,774 precincts. He has been described by conservative journalist Stacy McCain as someone who "…just became an American political legend" following Rick Santorum’s victory in Iowa.

Braunger also previously served as a Reagan fellow at the Goldwater Institute in Phoenix, Arizona, and as an intern for Rep. Steve King (R-IA). Braunger earned his master’s degree in international studies from the University of Denver in 2011 and his B.A. in political science from Iowa State University in 2009.

Jake is also a Leadership Institute alumnus. He now resides in Washington, DC where he does voice overs for internet radio and conducts foreign policy research in his spare time.